Iya Kazurabashi Vine Bridge 祖谷のかずら橋

Description

The Kazurabashi Vine Bridge hangs 15 meters above the Iya River. Roughly made from hardy kiwi vines, it is 45 meters long, two meters wide…and creaks and sways gently under the feet of those who cross it. The Iya Valley lies deep in the heavily forested mountains of central Shikoku and is one of Japan’s most remote spots. Some 800 years ago, two noble clans, the Taira and the Minamoto, were engaged in a desperate fight in Kyoto for control of the Imperial Court and the ability to choose the next emperor from their own ranks. The Taira were ultimately defeated and fled to this inaccessible place. Legend has it that they made bridges out of vines to cross the river so they could quickly cut them down to foil pursuers. Many vine bridges once spanned the 10-kilometer-long Iya Valley, serving as vital routes for its inhabitants. Today, only three remain: the Kazurabashi and the “husband and wife” bridges of Oku Iya. The bridges are taken down and remade from fresh vines every three years for safety and to keep this tradition alive. While the gaps between the vines that make up the bridge floor can make crossing a vertiginous experience, the whole structure is reinforced with steel cables.